Vaisnava Diet - What foods are to be avoided......

I offer my prostrated obeisances everyone.

Please tell me, how should an aspiring Vaisnava eat? What foods should always be avoided? I have heard that one should not eat beets, eggplant, carrots, etc. Is there a standard list of foods that Krishna will no accept?

Please tell me, what foods should be avoided?

The eight chapter of the Hari-bhakti-vilasa indeed gives a lengthy list of foodstuffs to be avoided (in order of appearance, texts 152-164):

- Milk from goats and buffalos and products thereof
- Milk from beasts and products thereof
- Fish
- Eggplant
- Banana leaves
- Sunflower leaves
- Asmantaka leaves
- Onion
- Garlic
- Sour gruel
- Sap of a tree
- Turnips
- Beetroots
- Red onions
- Kinsuka
- Forest figs
- White pumpkin
- Burnt rice
- Masura dal
- Wine
- Meat

I may have missed some, since there were some verses missing in my edition...

Anyhow, I am also looking forward hearing about this in practice. For what I've understood, different sections of devotees follow these regulations to different degrees.

For what I can see, after meat, fish and wine of course, eggplant seems to be the foodstuff with most warnings there. Onions and garlic we avoid, and carrots are highly rajasic. Forest figs I've never seen, and kinsuka & asmantaka leaves I've never heard of.

Looking forward reading any practical posts in this regard. [-o-]

Please see THIS TOPIC for more information in regards to eggplants etc.

Curiously enough, carrot halavah is one of the specialties of the sweet shops in Vrndavan. Also, carrots, as we have been told and medical science has confirmed, are good for the eyes. So, even if one is not going to offer them to the Deities, then perhaps at least carrot juice can be drunk for health and medicinal purposes. As far as onions and garlic are concerned, they are often touted for supposed health benefits, but they are obviously strong stimulants. Even a slight amount of garlic can cause insomnia for some. Chocolate has proven health benefits as a preventative in heart disease, although it is not suitable to be offered.

Obeisances to all,
Jaya Radhe!

If homemade, would chocolate still be unofferable? I have heard by some that this is because it is a stimulant. But then I remember betel nut, and get confused. I am not very learned, so please kindly explain.

Many thanks,
Jaya RadheShyamGaur!

Jai Radhe!

In regards to carrots, there is an old history in the Puranas (Padma I believe) related about a sage and his wife.

The sage was about to perform a gomedha yajna, and in the morning, a cow was slain, which was to be rejuvenated in the evening time. However, the wife of the sage, weak as she was, since the couple lived in the forest on fruits and roots, cut a piece from the cow and cooked it.

However, she was unable to eat it, and threw the flesh away.

In the evening, as the cow was given a new life, different parts of the flesh also turned back to life. A part of the flesh that landed on the ground became garlic, the second part that landed in the water became fish, the blood that fell on the ground became red lentils (masura), the skin became onions and the bone became carrots. Therefore all of them are considered unfit for eating.

Perhaps anyone could look up the exact history, I believe it is in Padma. Anyhow, this is the gist of it.

What's up with chocolat? I think the quantity of stimulants in it is very minimal, almost infinitesimal, compared to coffee for instance. Say, if you ate 5 kg of chocolat at once, perhaps the stimulating effect of the stimulant would effect you, but I'd say by 2 kg the sugar would be much more of a stimulant for you...